The only correct answer to this is " I don't know. We have not learnt American weights and measures and American date and time-notations at school and we do not use them." Alternatively if some American (or Briton - like those from the UKIP or the BWMA) expects a person in a metric country to understand and to use ifp for his sake, give a ludicrous answer. For instance if something would be 300 m = 1000 feet away, say 12 000 inches! I have made it a point for me already years ago. In metric countries I do not use ifp, AM/PM and MM/DD/YYYY in front of British and Americans! Never! The expression is: Not an inch (to the inch etc.)
I only did it once in a technical translation from English to Dutch in a workshop (holiday job) because of measurement sensitivity and the problem of soft metric. It was material from an American drill-manufacturer who used rock-hard USC. Even declared enemies of ifp can be faced with such dilemmas and then have to do the unthinkable. The message from Pat Naughtin on Sunday morning about temperatures showed it again. This [EMAIL PROTECTED]& pandering to users of Imperial and USC by agencies, organizations and broadcasting stations in metric countries! Han ----- Original Message ----- From: "BigChimp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, 2004-03-03 5:24 Subject: [USMA:29059] Re: [USMA:29058] RE: D�sseldorf airport weather data > It may be that the use of FFU at this airport could be tied in with the US military. Soldiers and their families that came and went over the years may have nagged airport personnel to a point they just gave in. I guess you can take so much of "what time is that really?", or "What is that in 'merican?". I really can't see anyone one else making an issue of it. Euric > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Chris KEENAN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, 2004-03-02 13:07 > Subject: [USMA:29058] RE: D�sseldorf airport weather data > > > On Monday 2004 March 01 22:52, Bill Potts wrote: > .. > > At least the signs in the airport are, I think, 24-hour-only and > > Celsius-only. They were when I lived in D�sseldorf (1988) and, although I > > didn't pay particular attention, I think they were on four or five > > subsequent visits (from 1990 to 1998). > .. > > Back to your original point, though, it's a pity they feel they need to > > pander to am/pm/F diehards. I suspect, though, that it wasn't done for the > > benefit of the British, who are used to 24-hour time and Celsius > > temperatures. > > I have absolutely no doubt that the airport will be 24 h only & Celsius. > It's > part of the mentality that many non-English speakers seem to have, that > English language=imperial/12 h clock. It's also an indication that they see > the US as the dominant users of English. You are absolutely right, Bill, in > that all UK bus/train/plane timetables are always in 24 h format (there may > be a few exceptions with some local buses, but I don't recall seeing any). > Only the US uses am/pm. Hence I was doubly annoyed. BTW, I never received a > reply to my complaint. > > > Incidentally, do you ever watch the Red Cap series (which is shown, here, > > on BBC America)? > > I've not seen it, Bill, though I knew it was on. I'm not inclined to watch > it > after whjat you've told me! > > Chris > > -- > Chris KEENAN > UK Metric Assoc: www.metric.org.uk > >
